You understand the 5×5 pieces and can read 3×3 face turns.
Keep the same face at the front. To judge the direction of a turn, look directly at the face named in the move.
1. Outer turns move only the outer layer
R, U, and F mean the same thing as on a 3×3: turn only the outer layer. Apostrophes reverse quarter-turns; a final 2 makes a half-turn. These are the moves you will use after reduction.
2. Wide turns move neighbouring layers together
Rw turns the outer right layer and its neighbouring inner layer together. Uw turns the top two layers together. Lw turns the leftmost two layers together. The w stands for wide.
3Rw means the rightmost three layers together. Only a written leading 3 changes the width to three; ordinary Rw still means two layers.
3. Inner turns exclude the outer face
2R means only the second layer counted from the right. It does not include the outer right face. 2R2 turns that single inner slice 180°.
| Move | Layers | Angle and direction |
|---|---|---|
R2 |
Outer right layer only | 180° |
Rw |
Rightmost two layers together | 90° clockwise |
Rw' |
Rightmost two layers together | 90° counterclockwise |
2R2 |
Second layer from the right only | 180° |
The leading number tells you which layer to turn or how many layers to turn together. A trailing 2 indicates a half-turn. Check both ends of the move notation before turning.
4. Whole-cube rotations change your grip
x rotates the entire cube in the direction of R: the old front becomes the new top. y rotates the entire cube like U. These rotations keep pieces together but change which face the following letters refer to.
The parity animation shows the whole cube rotating for x. Use the new front and top faces for the remaining moves. In the drill below, each move is followed by its inverse so you can check which layers turn and still return to the starting position.
Watch, then try
Work through an example
Start by going through the example one move at a time. It shows a specific action from a prepared position. Use the lesson’s setup instructions to recognize when that action applies to your own scramble.
Watch one worked example
Each turn is followed by its inverse. Watch which interior stickers move with Rw and with 2R to see how the layers involved differ.
Example grip: yellow up · blue front · red right at the start. Follow any written whole-cube rotations.
0 / 8
Loading 3D cube…
Prepared position · 0 / 8 moves
Use Next move to follow the sequence.
Drag to inspect other faces. Use the arrow keys to rotate the view when the cube has focus.
Copy this exact example on your own cube
Start with a solved 5×5, yellow up and blue front. Apply the setup below from left to right. This creates the example’s starting position. Keep this separate from the ongoing scramble you are solving through the course.
R U R' F2 D L2 B U2 Rw U FwThen follow the lesson sequence. If your cube’s colour scheme differs, match the piece relationships using your own colours.
Compare the starting position and the result
Drag each cube to inspect its other faces.
Explain it to yourself
Check your understanding
Now use your own cube
Your turn
Perform each move followed by its inverse. Count the layers with a finger before turning: R, Rw, 2R, and 3Rw.
Open a 5×5 Digital Cube for practiceOpens in a new tab so you can keep this lesson open while you practise. Check for yourself whether you’ve met the lesson goal. The Digital Cube doesn’t grade your work.
If you get stuck
My centre blocks get scrambled when I do the parity algorithm.
First, check which layers to turn for R, Rw, and 2R. For x, rotate the whole cube and use the new face directions for the remaining moves.
Before moving on
Check your result
Preparation · no solving yet
Return to the same scramble
Practise turning one inner layer and making wide turns of two and three layers, undoing each move. The cube stays scrambled. Begin solving the centres next.
Confirm these on your cube. Watching the animation alone does not complete the lesson.
Check off each item once you can do it yourself.